Overview & Reviews

The concept of the Smart car emerged in the early 1990s when the Swiss company Swatch, best known for its kitschy watches, sought to build an affordable city car that would fit into the smallest of parking spots and go easy on fuel. Not too long after, the company paired up with Mercedes-Benz to make the idea a reality. The car was later christened "Smart," an acronym for Swatch Mercedes Art.

The Smart Fortwo, originally dubbed the City Coupe, debuted at the 1997 Frankfurt Auto Show. Although the first generation never made it to the U.S., the tiny two-seater, which persevered through its parent company's financial troubles and an eventual buyout by Daimler-Benz, was later replaced by the slightly larger second-generation Fortwo. Not only is the reworked Fortwo newly available in the States, but an ambitious plan to launch several stand-alone dealerships in the U.S. makes it clear that the Smart brand is serious about competing in the American subcompact market. While its diminutive size and power entail certain on-road limitations, the Fortwo is a worthy candidate for urban commuters who want to maneuver through city congestion and save on gas without giving up the creature comforts of a car.

Current Smart Fortwo

At 8 feet, 10 inches long, the Smart Fortwo is a two-seat subcompact city car and is the smallest production car currently sold in North America. It comes in two body styles: the hatchback Coupe and the convertible Cabrio. The standard trim levels are Pure and the more well-equipped Passion. The Fortwo is powered by a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that produces 71 horsepower and 68 pound-feet of torque and sends its power to the rear wheels through an automated sequential-shift manual transmission.

There's also a limited-edition model from German tuner Brabus that upgrades the Smart with sportier wheels, a stiffer suspension, aerodynamic and cosmetic body cladding, a higher-performing exhaust and heated leather seats.

Because of its Lilliputian proportions (it's more than 3 feet shorter than a Mini Cooper), safety is at the core of the Fortwo design. The engine is in the rear of the car to increase front crumple-zone space, and the car is built around a cage of high-strength steel known as the Tridion safety cell, which helps the Fortwo post passable if unimpressive frontal crash-test scores. Side impact protection is enhanced by the closer placement of axles to the passenger compartment, and the Smart's scores in side-impact crash testing are top-notch. And although the car might look something like a golf cart, standard safety features like side airbags, antilock brakes, stability control and traction control combine to put that comparison to rest.

Fuel economy is another welcome asset of the Smart Fortwo; its EPA rating is 33 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. With its 8.7-gallon gas tank, that makes for a lot of driving between fill-ups, though it's worth noting that premium gasoline is recommended.

In our initial reviews, we found the Smart Fortwo surprisingly comfortable. The interior is roomier than it might appear from the outside -- especially in the passenger seat, which is set back 6 inches for increased legroom. (It also folds flat for extra cargo space.) On the road, however, the Smart's manner is less than graceful over rough pavement. Moreover, while the car is admirably stable at high speeds for such a small vehicle, its slablike side panels and upright posture conspire to make it unsettlingly vulnerable to crosswinds.

We aren't fans of the automated manual transmission either. Gearchanges are sluggish and somewhat jerky. The Fortwo is also one of the slowest vehicles for sale today (zero to 60 mph takes 14.1 seconds) and it has a particularly hard time keeping up with traffic on the highway. Still, the Smart Fortwo is great for tooling around city streets. Buyers who aren't looking to do much more than that will probably be quite satisfied with the Smart car.

Used Smart Fortwo Models

The current (second) generation Fortwo debuted for 2008 and was the first Smart model to go on sale in the U.S. There have been no major changes since, though the Brabus trim level wasn't available for its first year.

Designed primarily for urban cities in Europe, the first-generation Smart Fortwo was originally known as the City Coupe and not sold in North America. It debuted for the 1998 model year and it came with a turbocharged three-cylinder engine that was either gasoline-fueled (initially 599cc of displacement and later 698cc) or diesel-fueled (799cc). The first-generation Smart Fortwo was discontinued after the 2007 model year.

User Reviews:

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  The Car People Love To Wave To!!! - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By j m shanus - June 27 - 4:16 am

  Got the car three weeks ago, and its been nothing but great fun. It is a little odd handling, the transmission is something you have to get used to! I really feel a true 5 speed manual would have been better. Also note that the tire pressure is 29 PSI in the front tires and that the rear tires are 36 PSI. They were all set at 36 PSI and the handling on the highway was poor tracking and that loose front end. Gas mpg has been 37-40 on and off state highways, interstate. Also city driving, stop and go. Car has only 650 miles and not broken in. The model is the passion coupe in yellow black tridon/black interior, extra gauges, fog lights.

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  Surprisingly fun! - 2011 Smart fortwo
  By wallen2 - May 31 - 1:52 pm

  I dont own one of these, but I use Car2Go in Austin, which is a car sharing company that uses only Smart cars. I was so surprised how fun this thing is to drive, even out of the city and on the highway. For only 75hp, this thing really goes quickly. Great interior space as well. But Edmonds cons are spot on. That transmission is pretty harsh, and that break pedal is hard to get used to at first. It feels like its not going to stop.

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  Smart Metro Car - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Dan K - May 24 - 4:33 am

  I live in Tucson, AZ and the only hwy driving Ive done is to take it 90 miles to Chandler for servicing once a year. Not fun to drive in strong cross winds where everyone wants to drive 85+ mph (limit is 75 mph). Helps to find a mid-sized truck or large van going 75 mph to follow behind. Got 57 mpg on one hwy, 50 mph on my most recent trip (with A/C). Car is perfect for driving around Tucson where hwy travel is limited. The high profile is not great for high wind at high speeds, but it makes getting in and out much easier on the knees. Well worth the trade off for me. Can override auto shifting when needed. Not good with "California stops" as it confuses the auto shift.

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  Fabulous Car Unbeatably Economical - 2015 Smart fortwo
  By danawanapskana - April 28 - 3:55 am

  I took this thing from Schenectady area New York all the way to the coast of Oregon in about 12 days. I took my time on the country roads for long winding miles with hours sometimes between gas stations. It got stares, comments, questions, smiles and even some curious gawking from cute girls and a driver of a brand new Ferrari. It was awesome to drive across country, even up and around the steep Rockies with no barriers from 5000 foot drops and now I find its even more fun to drive around where Im living- to the gym or to shop, to get into the bigger city by Interstate and the State highways. Its absolutely wonderful to take through a pretty town with country driving in mind. Marvelous

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  horn & door problems lies on extended warranty - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By kulumao - April 27 - 4:14 am

  I love my 2008 Smart passiion. I have less than 12000 miles on it. The first time i had to use the horn, it does not work, the plastic part on the door hinge is missing. I bought a platinum ext warranty at the time and was told it covered bumper to bumper for 5 years. Now they told me the horn problem is not covered and the door hinge missing part is not covered either. what a rip off, never buy any ext warranty from mercedes benz again. I wont touch any MB either, Lexus gave much better service and had no problems.

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  Better than expected - would buy a Smart again. - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By R.B. - March 23 - 3:11 am

  The good: • A breeze to park. I actually LOVE when its time to find a parking space, since it can fit in leftover 1/2 spaces where other cars cant fit. If I ever switch to a full sized car, this is the #1 thing I will miss. • Great gas mileage. Driving around town and running errands, I can usually go 2+ weeks on a tank. • Gas fill-ups are quick and CHEAP. • Can go longer between oil changes. Manual advises to use synthetic and go up to a year between changes. • Great acceleration from complete stop. • Surprisingly good handling in snow. Its rear wheel drive and the engine is in the rear, so that is good for traction in the snow. There have been a few occasions where Ive driven to work in several inches of snow. Ive never been stuck (knock on wood) or felt like my Smart was out of control. • The car doesn’t use much electricity. Ive left the headlights and dome lights on overnight and it has always started. • No one volunteers me to be a taxi, or to use my vehicle to help them move. The not so swell: • There is a perception of Smart cars not being real safe for regular freeway commutes. It doesnt feel unsafe when I drive on freeways. It just doesnt give me the confidence and safe feeling I might have in a larger vehicle. • It doesnt recover its speed once youre slowed down on steep uphill roads. Once you slow down on a hill, that is as fast as youre going. • On uninterrupted driving over say, 60 miles, the engine gives off a slight burning smell. I dont know if mine has an issue or this is normal. It doesn’t seem to be a problem, but I try to avoid taking it on long trips often. • It could use a wall between the rear cargo area and seat backs. Unsecured items slide forward and fall under the seats. • No spare tire/donut. The upside is that the tires are so small that I just carry a high psi hand pump (looks like a bicycle pump) in the cargo, which is sufficient to put enough air in the tire to drive it to a repair place. • Its skinny-ness is great for parking, but when I take it through the automatic wash, only the driver side tires get washed. The tire wash on the passenger side misses the tires. • National service franchises dont work with Smarts enough. There is usually confusion over where the engine is, and how to get to it. This resulted in one of them breaking the thumb lever off the rear cargo hatch. • Not a huge selection of tires for this car. I found 2 brands, and only limited tire stores carry them.

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  Excellent & SuperSafe! - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By jy - March 19 - 9:06 pm

  We researched the smart car for the past 2 years. Bought a used one last Saturday. Initial impressions are excellent! People complaining about the tranny dont know how to drive a manual! Car has plenty of pep. Handles very well. Overall build quality is excellent. Why the disconnect between so many actual owners loving this car and the mostly poor reviews by "professional" reviewers? Cant figure that out. This car is the safest small car on the road!

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  25 dollars fills the tank - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By walt - March 10 - 10:06 am

  I rented one in Germany back in 96 and both my wife and I enjoy driving the car. We recently picked one up the Cabrios and are very happy with the car.

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  Love my smart - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Denise - February 15 - 6:13 pm

  The smart fortwo is the most unique car Ive ever owned. Its not for everybody but I love mine. I couldnt wait to get one and enjoy every moment behind the wheel. Even just looking at it sitting in my driveway makes me smile. I didnt buy it for the fuel economy but I average 42mpg combined city/highway.

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  The 2015 Smart is the best compact on the planet !! - 2015 Smart fortwo
  By sillyemail1982 - January 31 - 10:19 pm

  This little car has the heart of a lion the turning radius of a peanut and the fit and finish of the big brother, Mercedes Benz. We have owned 4 & brought home # 4 last night. For the size of the car youd never know you were in something that small. Acceleration is excellent, parking is a breeze, gas mileage is outstanding, heated leather seats are so nice. This car is a blast to drive. Young or old this IS the car for everyone. Mercedes quality all the way. NO road noise if its at the dealership ? Its for a car wash. You can depend on this car for years and years. We own a Pure commuter for my husband and I own a Brabus. Both are 2015s. We LOVE these little cars.